#bergen_county

COnor, ever alert, might notice Twobit barking! ANd.. being shushed

The door to the Ironhawk house is slightly open.

He can smell soap

Scrubbing sounds

Spritzing sounds

He backs away.

It does sound kind of bath like!

But.. all over

"The great dust bunny purge" A voice whispers as he backs up. Lily tuts "It begins"

"House by house, she sneaks in, she cleans and cleans. She got the lodge. She got the Lees. Now she comes for the other kings. "

"She will not stop until the whole earth smells clean, pristine..." Lily sighs "Dirt smells that dog pooka love will be gone"

"Who is She?" Connor asks, in awe and perhaps a touch of dread.

"Cleo, the disinfector" As if she were summoned up by a ritual gone wrong

"She is a foster of the Lees now, for her parens and sibling died most...tragically. She has driven redcaps before her, forced sluagh to self exile, and cleaned, always she cleans" Lily goes on "The horror, the horror"

His tail tucks. "We should flee before she finds us."

"That sounds turrible."

"is there an escape? One by one, she shall clean each house, be it manor or hovel," lily whispers "I bet she even tries to give you a bath"

"Nooooooooo." He looks around for a tree he can climb.

"Oh yes" She says "Doomed"

Then the face of evil sticks her head out the door crack and the face of evil looks a lot like a sad boggan girl

He is halfway shimmied up an oak tree when he peeks back down and sees her. "Oh. Hi." A wave.

"Hello" Cleo looks up at him "Uhm.. I'm Cleo"

"That's awfully confusing. Didn't anyone tell you that's my name?"

"No" Cleo looks surprised, and presses her glasses against her nose "For real? I've never met a boy with that name"

"For really, really real. I wear glasses, too, only I lost mine in a bath once. That's why I don't like 'em."

He slides down a bit closer.

"Do you need a bath?" The girl asks. She still smells of soap

He scootches back UP the tree. "Never! I'm self-cleaning."

"i'm I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it" She calls out "I mostly clean places, not people. Honest, Cleo!"

He looks behind him for a moment to see who she is talking to, then remembers, and his tail gives a cautious wag. Scooting back down almost to ground level. "Are you done cleaning now?"

"I guess" She blushes "at least here? It helps me.. calm." She explains lamely

" But I won't clean. Not near you. I don't want anyone elsse to hate me"

He slides down to thump on his rump at the base of the tree. "Who hates you?"

"Well, Symon and Dirk. Because I got Dirk's room, and Symon likes Dirk even though he wont' admit it and thinks that sucks. ANd Dirk is in the yard shed, and he thinks it sucks .So I guess to them I suck. Anne marie is trying to treat me nice. Make me feel at home but she's so busy, and the Doctor is so busy so I'm alone there a lot. And I come out and there's this strange pale girl who looks at me, and then is gone. I don't think she likes me either."

"And.. I miss my family" She wipes at her eyes. Apparently she's very susceptible to the pooka boon

"Well, -I- don't hate you. I might not be family, but we could be friends? I mean, we pretty much have to be. We have the same name."

"We do" A smile at that crosses Cleo's features "I could use a friend. Thank you."

"What would you use a friend for?" Head tilts, and his ears flop comically over to one side.

She smiles, "maybe to make me smile?" Cleo answers after realizing that's just what he did "maybe he and I could play games? Do you like games? I used to be really good at jump rope but I also know checkers"

"Games?! That's my specialty! Do you like animals? We have horses and goats and some dogs too."

"I like animals fine. There's a cute little dog in there but she's all grr ruf, but I like the big dopey one just a bit better. He's warm and friendly. There's a cat too but he left up the stairs"

"Do you want to see a unicorn?"

"You guys have UNICORNS?" her eyes grow big and hopeful

"Well... sure!"

"SHow me please?"

"Okay, but you gotta close your eyes until we get there, okay?"

And she does. REAL tight

He takes her hand and skips over towards the Stables, then puts her hand onto the paddock fence. "Keep 'em closed, I'll see if we have any here today."

SAhe does.

Stormwake looks at the childlings and gives a horse quizical look. Spark bounds up friendly!